Chapter 184: Bound by Destiny
Vivian’s POV
They had met him once before well, met might be a generous term. More like being suddenly confronted by a brooding stranger who’d whisked me away with absolutely no real explanation. That version of Zaliver? The one who had zero patience and no boundaries? He wasn’t the man they’d see now. Still, I couldn’t stomach the idea of future family dinners turning into constant battles of suspicion and heavy blame.
Zaliver’s dark gaze darkened just slightly, the subtle shift so small I almost missed it entirely.
"What?" I asked, suddenly on edge. "You don’t agree? I thought you of all people would be glad they don’t remember."
He let out a slow, heavy breath, then reached out for my hand, bringing it to his lips. The kiss he pressed to my knuckles was soft, completely reverent. His thumb traced slow circles over my skin, grounding me and maybe grounding himself too.
"It’s not about what I want," he said quietly. "It’s about whether you will deeply regret this choice later. You think keeping that dark part of the past buried will make things easier now. But love... let’s not pretend I’m the kind of mate most human parents welcome with wide open arms."
There was no harsh accusation in his tone just quiet, bitter truth. And it stung because I knew deep down he was right.
I frowned softly at him, my fingers tightening slightly in his.
"I know your reputation, Zaliver. I’ve heard it all. But I also know who you are right now. If they meet this version of you the one who actually talks instead of snarling, who doesn’t lock me away just because he thinks it’s the only way to keep me safe then maybe they’ll see what I see."
He blinked at me, then let out a dry, low chuckle. "Zaliver’s grand plan to keep Vivian locked in a tower forever," he echoed softly, clearly amused by the phrase.
I rolled my eyes so hard it almost hurt. "Yes. That exact plan. The one where you clam up completely instead of telling me how you feel, go full-on alpha meltdown when something upsets you, and expect me to just psychically know what’s going on in that thick skull of yours. That exact one."
He huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "So basically, as long as I don’t have a full mental breakdown, we’re good?"
"Exactly. Should be easy for someone with your legendary self-control," I teased with a smirk.
"Oh, absolutely," he smirked right back. "What could possibly go wrong?"
"Yup," I muttered, already regretting opening this whole can of worms.
And then, from deep within my mind, my wolf decided to make her chaotic presence known.
"Why you lyin’? Why you always lyin’? Stooop "
Oh no.
I groaned internally, slapping down the vivid mental image of her dancing around to that ridiculous song. Not right now.
"Then stop lying," she snapped back instantly. "We both know something is going to blow up out there. You don’t shove alphas, lunas, betas, and their hormonally imbalanced offspring into one single room with you two and expect peace and harmony. That’s just not how this works."
I clenched my jaw tight.
She had a solid point.
Damn it, she always had a point.
"Five more hours, then we’ll check in at one of my luxury hotels. It’s exclusively built for werewolves, so that should help our guests feel far more at ease," Zaliver said casually, like he hadn’t just dropped the casual fact that he owned the entire place. "We’ll be staying on the top floor. No interruptions whatsoever."
I stared at him in disbelief. The top floor of his own private hotel? Of course. This man simply couldn’t do anything halfway.
"Will Jesse be there when we arrive?" I asked, shifting slightly in my seat.
Jesse was the one handling the extensive event preparations for the upcoming masquerade ball. Zaliver had introduced us over the phone right after telling me about the event. Things were a little awkward at first, but as our conversation went on, we clicked instantly. Hours flew by before I even realized where the time went.
"She’ll be there, but not for the actual ball. She’s been working herself straight into the ground," he said, a distinct hint of admiration in his voice. "From what I’ve seen and picked up directly in her mind, it’s all going really well."
He turned his head to look at me a moment later. "Are you planning to sleep on the plane or wait until we reach the hotel?"
"Hotel," I muttered, digging through my bag to find something to keep my busy mind occupied. "I can’t sleep on planes. Too noisy. Too stiff. Just... really not for me."
He nodded thoughtfully. A beat passed in silence, then he spoke up again. "So... about the dress "
My head snapped up instantly, my eyes narrowing. "Don’t."
He raised both hands in mock surrender. "I’m not going back on our agreement. I swear it. I just wanted to ask one thing."
I gave him a long, slow look before sighing deeply. "Fine. Go on."
His expression shifted into something far too serious. With a voice low and firm, he asked, "Exactly how much skin are you planning to show?"
I blinked, then rolled my eyes. "Probably far less than whatever wild fantasy your overly possessive brain is conjuring up right now."
He grunted softly, clearly not pleased with the answer, but after a second, he nodded. "Good."
Eventually, the long plane ride ended and we landed. I was completely exhausted, my body aching for a hot shower and a soft bed. Just as we were about to leave the private plane, Zaliver reached into his bag and pulled out a thick sweater, slipping it over my head without even asking first.
I gave him a dry look. "You do realize I’m already wearing a sweater, right? And this one’s basically a massive blanket."
"It’s colder out there than you think. Don’t argue," he said smoothly, pulling the oversized hood up and tucking my loose hair inside. It smelled strongly like him warm, woodsy, and intensely grounding. I didn’t mind it. Not one bit.
"Fine. But don’t expect to ever get it back," I said, wrapping my arms lazily around his broad waist.
He leaned down softly, kissed my forehead, and whispered against my skin, "That’s alright. As long as I get to keep you forever."
A soft smile tugged at my lips. "Deal."